Jeb, Dinnerbone, Grum, and EvilSeph have been discussing the upcoming Mod API in detail! This is only a small look at the massive amount of information provided about the Mod API, so let's dive right in!
API Questions:
Will mods have the ability to modify text?
Mods can have config files that, when initialized, will be able to dynamically print text in a variety of ways.
Will mods like Optifine (which modify the engine directly) be supported?
The API will eliminate the need to write to the engine directly, allowing modifications that affect the game (as any mod will), without altering the game code itself. Among other things, this will greatly simplify mod installation.
Can vanilla block behavior be modified?
Yes.
Will there be official community resources (tutorials, forums, etc) for modders?
Yes.
How will mods be distributed by modders, and downloaded by players?
Players will be able to download mods from the game client itself.
Will the API be able to add new mobs to the game through mods?
Yes. Additionally, it will be possible to modify animated blocks (water, lava) as well as custom animated blocks.
Will the API be like Bukkit (an outside resource)?
No, the API will be integrated into the vanilla game, hopefully bypassing the need for exernal APIs.
Will client-only mods be supported by the API?
Not at this time, but as the biggest client-only modifications are already covered (texture packs, splash screen text etc), it didn't seem necessary.
Will the API remove the issue of mods being rendered inoperable when the game updates?
It is a target we want to hit for certain, but it won't really have that capability at launch, we don't believe.
Will mods need to be re-written from the ground up with the API's release?
While mods will need to be changed to accommodate the API, total overhauls shouldn't be necessary. Even if a mod requires an overhaul for the API, it would only be a one-time occurrance.
Will there be any sort of content filter?
By and large, the community will police its own mods as it does now, but we are working to put a system in place to prevent malicious mods from being distributed.
What can be modified in the game using the API?
Everything.
Can the physics be modded?
Yes.
Will the API be on the XBOX or Pocket Edition?
Not by us, but you can ask the developers of each game, respectively.
Minecraft Questions:
Will mods like Optifine be added to vanilla?
Something even better. Overall, the game engine is being simplified, taking most of the load off of the client, and having the server doing the heavy work, greatly improving SMP.
Smoothstone stairs are not planned.
No new mobs are planned.
________________
Check back for more updates soon, there is a LOT going on today!
Optifine will probably be around for awhile still, to do 2 things:
1. Clean up after performance mess-ups. (New Lighting System)
2. Give "power users" all of those frickin buttons!
I'm excited, but I don't think it will be done by January. At least not perfectly. (But I will be happy if proven wrong...)
I can see the mod API being really cool for a handful of mods but completely useless for the stuff most existing mod makers actually want to be able to edit. At least we won't have to use MCPatcher to use the 32x32 faithful texture pack. When they say that Bukkit and Optifine won't be needed anymore I would take it with a grain of salt. Time will tell I guess but I'm not as optimistic about the development direction of the game as I used to be... most especially the junk world generator. Please don't add anything else below ground... the world is hollow enough as it is. Took me 6 hours to find a spot actually big enough to build a fancy MINE in MINEcraft without having to backfill a crapload of caves. I doubt the devs have actually ever taken an x-ray pack like strongestcraft or something and actually LOOKED at what gets generated iunderground. It's a train wreck of generation stepping all over itself. If this will let us fix that I'll be super impressed. This hasn't been MINEcraft since b1.7ish.
I hope it comes out on midnight at the end of the year! I really wanted to use the fireworks at midnight D=
Also, with regards to the API, will texture packs that adds files and classes (Like Misa's realistic) which add other textures
(like clouds, shooting stars, and other things that are only textures) work?
Can you play it on Multiplayer though? If so I probably didn't understand most of the post
Multiplayer and Single player is now the same thing. Thats why they merged it way back then.
Also, if bukkit will no longer matter about anything, how will I keep my server? I can't run a vanilla server, only the bukkit set-up one. How will I keep it going?
There are a couple things that scare me about this post:
"Will client-only mods be supported by the API? Not at this time, but as the biggest client-only modifications are already covered (texture packs, splash screen text etc), it didn't seem necessary."
We need some clarification on whether this will prevent client side mods from working at all. I think that by preventing, say a minimap mod, will turn a good portion of users away from a server if it is not in their "provided" server mod. Some of us really like using certain mods that do not provide an edge over another player but more of a quality of life benefit. Some might say that MCP will stick around but who really knows? They put in so much work at every release and put up with so much grief that they might just say F it and tell us to use the API.
"Will mods like Optifine be added to vanilla? Something even better. Overall, the game engine is being simplified, taking most of the load off of the client, and having the server doing the heavy work, greatly improving SMP."
This concerns me that servers will have greater hardware requirements. Or am I reading this wrong? This might just put a lot of servers off line due to increasing server costs.
Lastly, we all know that January 2013 really means another 6 months or so. Remember when we first heard about the mod API? Was that not about a year ago? I really can't remember, it has been that long. I do remember them promising something; documentation, a beta release, etc..., but that never materialized. Basically I am not holding my breath.
There's some misinformation being passed along here. According to Dinnerbone's twitter:
"Nathan Adams @Dinnerbone
I'm not sure where people are getting this from, but we never said that the API is in 1.5 in either of our panels (1.5 one or API one)"
There are a couple things that scare me about this post:
"Will client-only mods be supported by the API? Not at this time, but as the biggest client-only modifications are already covered (texture packs, splash screen text etc), it didn't seem necessary."
We need some clarification on whether this will prevent client side mods from working at all. I think that by preventing, say a minimap mod, will turn a good portion of users away from a server if it is not in their "provided" server mod. Some of us really like using certain mods that do not provide an edge over another player but more of a quality of life benefit. Some might say that MCP will stick around but who really knows? They put in so much work at every release and put up with so much grief that they might just say F it and tell us to use the API.
"Will mods like Optifine be added to vanilla? Something even better. Overall, the game engine is being simplified, taking most of the load off of the client, and having the server doing the heavy work, greatly improving SMP."
This concerns me that servers will have greater hardware requirements. Or am I reading this wrong? This might just put a lot of servers off line due to increasing server costs.
Lastly, we all know that January 2013 really means another 6 months or so. Remember when we first heard about the mod API? Was that not about a year ago? I really can't remember, it has been that long. I do remember them promising something; documentation, a beta release, etc..., but that never materialized. Basically I am not holding my breath.
That also was only when Notch was the lead developer. Jeb seems to be doing exactly what he wants so far (Besides
procrastinating the the API a little bit) If Notch was still in the development i would agree with you. But hes not. So it
most likely will happen.
EnzerDeLeo, it was mentioned in the 'Minecraft PC Team' talk. They have an aimed release date of January, because they can't make it before Christmas anymore. btw, how do you it wasn't mentioned at the panel?
So they dropped the release date in another panel? Dinnerbone is getting me confused.
They are saying that yes, API is not part of 1.5, but is a separate update and that the API update was announced for January in a separate panel. 1.5 is slated for a planned New Years release.
I haven't seen any info to support this, but people at the panel are saying this. Wish Dinenrbone would confirm.
Ya know for a brief moment I saw a lot of head akes comming my way. I thought two months time was a bit odd for the API seeing as they have not stopped updateing the last updates, and with minecon out I don't think they are working on the game right now anyway. No new snapshots in a wile. Saying that something that big would be out in January sounded a bit odd.
The old reporters put words in our mouths trick eh...O well.
This talk of non client side mods concerns me.
#1 The only way I look at this game is with Optifine on and a HD texture pack. I can't get x128x128 and higher running without useing Optifine and I don't really want to go back to that god awful default textures. Even x32's look like crap. They said that it was not going to be nessary to run Optifine. However if I can't get the HD texture packs loaded via the default game. It will be very nessary.
#2 If they are not client side mods then they are server side? If so what happens to bukkit with all my server mods? They think I'm giveing up World Edit, Essentials, and the Voxel Sniper? Or do they mean that I will just load them in their server and elimanate bukkit? More so what server? The stand alone server or the sudo server built into the game?
I mean if the old bukkit team turned the Mojang server into a bukkit like server with a graphical interface I would be kinda stokked. Then we would not have to wait months for the offical server to get out. Would suck for the bukkit people and the modders will have to tweek their stuff, but....It would make sense.
Like I said. Just concerns. Can't really go jumping off the deep end with the little information I just read.
Ya know for a brief moment I saw a lot of head akes comming my way. I thought two months time was a bit odd for the API seeing as they have not stopped updateing the last updates, and with minecon out I don't think they are working on the game right now anyway. No new snapshots in a wile. Saying that something that big would be out in January sounded a bit odd.
The old reporters put words in our mouths trick eh...O well.
This talk of non client side mods concerns me.
#1 The only way I look at this game is with Optifine on and a HD texture pack. I can't get x128x128 and higher running without useing Optifine and I don't really want to go back to that god awful default textures. Even x32's look like crap. They said that it was not going to be nessary to run Optifine. However if I can't get the HD texture packs loaded via the default game. It will be very nessary.
#2 If they are not client side mods then they are server side? If so what happens to bukkit with all my server mods? They think I'm giveing up World Edit, Essentials, and the Voxel Sniper? Or do they mean that I will just load them in their server and elimanate bukkit? More so what server? The stand alone server or the sudo server built into the game?
I mean if the old bukkit team turned the Mojang server into a bukkit like server with a graphical interface I would be kinda stokked. Then we would not have to wait months for the offical server to get out. Would suck for the bukkit people and the modders will have to tweek their stuff, but....It would make sense.
Like I said. Just concerns. Can't really go jumping off the deep end with the little information I just read.
Watch the Panel. 1.5 has HD texture support for all sizes and support for animated textures. They are also pushing a redone version of the Rendering engine since they could not work out a deal with the creator of Optifine, they have stated it will do everything Optifine does, plus more.
I think what people consider "client side mods" on these forums and what the devs consider client side are two separate things. Multiple times during the API panel they said that to them, client side mods consist of 1) Texture Packs, 2) Sound Packs. Everything else falls into the "Plugin" category.
They said that they are unsure if Bukkit will continue to be around after the API as the API more or less does everything bukkit did already, it has all of bukkit's functionality plus more. They said that bukkit is old and too restricted, so they didn't even consider just integrating bukkit into vanilla. They further stated that if bukkit is to stay around after the API, it would have to be built as a plugin on top of the API. All current bukkit mods would be portable to the new API and it would allow them more functionality of more traditional mods found on this forums, the so called "client side mods".
They also stated that updating mods to the API is a one time change.
Something even better. Overall, the game engine is being simplified, taking most of the load off of the client, and having the server doing the heavy work, greatly improving SMP.
Sorry, but that sounds awful. I'd take vanlla gameplay over lag any day. :/ I could be wrong, but moar load on a server can't possibly be positive...
Watch the Panel. 1.5 has HD texture support for all sizes and support for animated textures. They are also pushing a redone version of the Rendering engine since they could not work out a deal with the creator of Optifine, they have stated it will do everything Optifine does, plus more.
I think what people consider "client side mods" on these forums and what the devs consider client side are two separate things. Multiple times during the API panel they said that to them, client side mods consist of 1) Texture Packs, 2) Sound Packs. Everything else falls into the "Plugin" category.
They said that they are unsure if Bukkit will continue to be around after the API as the API more or less does everything bukkit did already, it has all of bukkit's functionality plus more. They said that bukkit is old and too restricted, so they didn't even consider just integrating bukkit into vanilla. They further stated that if bukkit is to stay around after the API, it would have to be built as a plugin on top of the API. All current bukkit mods would be portable to the new API and it would allow them more functionality of more traditional mods found on this forums, the so called "client side mods".
They also stated that updating mods to the API is a one time change.
I think that client side mods are mods that only take efect after the calculations are made for the map, i.e. texture packs or mini-maps.
1. Clean up after performance mess-ups. (New Lighting System)
2. Give "power users" all of those frickin buttons!
I'm excited, but I don't think it will be done by January. At least not perfectly. (But I will be happy if proven wrong...)
Also, with regards to the API, will texture packs that adds files and classes (Like Misa's realistic) which add other textures
(like clouds, shooting stars, and other things that are only textures) work?
Multiplayer and Single player is now the same thing. Thats why they merged it way back then.
Also, if bukkit will no longer matter about anything, how will I keep my server? I can't run a vanilla server, only the bukkit set-up one. How will I keep it going?
"Will client-only mods be supported by the API?
Not at this time, but as the biggest client-only modifications are already covered (texture packs, splash screen text etc), it didn't seem necessary."
We need some clarification on whether this will prevent client side mods from working at all. I think that by preventing, say a minimap mod, will turn a good portion of users away from a server if it is not in their "provided" server mod. Some of us really like using certain mods that do not provide an edge over another player but more of a quality of life benefit. Some might say that MCP will stick around but who really knows? They put in so much work at every release and put up with so much grief that they might just say F it and tell us to use the API.
"Will mods like Optifine be added to vanilla?
Something even better. Overall, the game engine is being simplified, taking most of the load off of the client, and having the server doing the heavy work, greatly improving SMP."
This concerns me that servers will have greater hardware requirements. Or am I reading this wrong? This might just put a lot of servers off line due to increasing server costs.
Lastly, we all know that January 2013 really means another 6 months or so. Remember when we first heard about the mod API? Was that not about a year ago? I really can't remember, it has been that long. I do remember them promising something; documentation, a beta release, etc..., but that never materialized. Basically I am not holding my breath.
"Nathan Adams @Dinnerbone
I'm not sure where people are getting this from, but we never said that the API is in 1.5 in either of our panels (1.5 one or API one)"
https://twitter.com/...733076738682881
That also was only when Notch was the lead developer. Jeb seems to be doing exactly what he wants so far (Besides
procrastinating the the API a little bit) If Notch was still in the development i would agree with you. But hes not. So it
most likely will happen.
That doesn't mean it might not come in January. It will most likely be in its 'own seperate update' not an official patch/release.
Think they know optifine adds more than just ways of making the game run smoother?
So they dropped the release date in another panel? Dinnerbone is getting me confused.
They are saying that yes, API is not part of 1.5, but is a separate update and that the API update was announced for January in a separate panel. 1.5 is slated for a planned New Years release.
I haven't seen any info to support this, but people at the panel are saying this. Wish Dinenrbone would confirm.
The old reporters put words in our mouths trick eh...O well.
This talk of non client side mods concerns me.
#1 The only way I look at this game is with Optifine on and a HD texture pack. I can't get x128x128 and higher running without useing Optifine and I don't really want to go back to that god awful default textures. Even x32's look like crap. They said that it was not going to be nessary to run Optifine. However if I can't get the HD texture packs loaded via the default game. It will be very nessary.
#2 If they are not client side mods then they are server side? If so what happens to bukkit with all my server mods? They think I'm giveing up World Edit, Essentials, and the Voxel Sniper? Or do they mean that I will just load them in their server and elimanate bukkit? More so what server? The stand alone server or the sudo server built into the game?
I mean if the old bukkit team turned the Mojang server into a bukkit like server with a graphical interface I would be kinda stokked. Then we would not have to wait months for the offical server to get out. Would suck for the bukkit people and the modders will have to tweek their stuff, but....It would make sense.
Like I said. Just concerns. Can't really go jumping off the deep end with the little information I just read.
Watch the Panel. 1.5 has HD texture support for all sizes and support for animated textures. They are also pushing a redone version of the Rendering engine since they could not work out a deal with the creator of Optifine, they have stated it will do everything Optifine does, plus more.
I think what people consider "client side mods" on these forums and what the devs consider client side are two separate things. Multiple times during the API panel they said that to them, client side mods consist of 1) Texture Packs, 2) Sound Packs. Everything else falls into the "Plugin" category.
They said that they are unsure if Bukkit will continue to be around after the API as the API more or less does everything bukkit did already, it has all of bukkit's functionality plus more. They said that bukkit is old and too restricted, so they didn't even consider just integrating bukkit into vanilla. They further stated that if bukkit is to stay around after the API, it would have to be built as a plugin on top of the API. All current bukkit mods would be portable to the new API and it would allow them more functionality of more traditional mods found on this forums, the so called "client side mods".
They also stated that updating mods to the API is a one time change.
Apparently according to Dinnerbone, they never said January. Other people in the thread are claiming otherwise. *Shrug* Waiting for official news.
also:
Sorry, but that sounds awful. I'd take vanlla gameplay over lag any day. :/ I could be wrong, but moar load on a server can't possibly be positive...
Until it's pushed to 1.6.
I think that client side mods are mods that only take efect after the calculations are made for the map, i.e. texture packs or mini-maps.